Keeping Fido safe at the pool

If you have a swimming pool, chances are you’ve taken precautions to keep your children safe, but what about your dog? Water can be a very unfriendly place for a dog to find itself.

Most dogs can swim, but that doesn’t mean they’re good at it. They can tire quickly and be unable to get out of a pool by themselves. Breeds with flat faces, such as French bulldogs and pugs, have short snouts and thick chests, two things that make swimming much more difficult.

And although it’s rare, dogs can suffer from hypernatremia by spending too long in the water or by drinking too much. It can cause muscle and nerve control problems, including seizures, brain swelling and death.

The folks at Trupanion pet insurance offer us six tips to keep our pups safe.

Watch: Know where your pets are and what they’re doing.

Pool safety: Install devices that will assist your pet in getting out of the pool by itself.

Wash: Don’t let salt or pool chemical dry in your dog’s fur. Rinse the dog off after coming out of the water.

Life jackets: If you have a dog that is around the pool a lot, consider buying a pet life jacket, but make sure it fits correctly, is buoyant, has handles so you can quickly snatch the dog up, and has bright colors that are easy to spot.